


Guilty As Charged

by saans



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: ... or is it???, Accidental Voyeurism, Awkwardness, Fantasizing, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Hero Worship, Humor, Jealousy, M/M, Masturbation, Pining, Pre-Main Game, Sibling Incest, Slice of Life, Unrequited Love, hop is 15 leon is 20
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:26:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21586093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saans/pseuds/saans
Summary: Leon visits Postwick for the weekend. Hop realizes just how absolutely screwed he is.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Hop
Comments: 52
Kudos: 279





	1. Saturday

**Author's Note:**

> wow everyone, thank you so much for all the kind feedback on my first leon/hop fic, "Need, Want, Crave"!
> 
> i had no idea if there was going to be a market for this sort of thing, but i'm actually overwhelmed and blown back by your guys' love and support. i spent most of the day yesterday writing about these two, because i wanted to get some content out for you guys. (and also they're just so cute together...)
> 
> thank you so much for reading, once again.

It wasn’t often that Leon came home to visit, but when he did, Hop looked forward to nothing more.

Leon hardly visited in Autumn. The gym challenge was usually in full swing by then, and he would be too busy with champion duties to to even call home-- let alone visit.

However, by a stroke of luck, Leon had texted him earlier in the week saying that the challenge had been delayed and that he would have free time to visit during the weekend-- Saturday and Sunday, which was hardly enough time if you asked Hop. But he took what he could get.

In-person visits from Leon were a rarity these days, and it had been months since he had seen his older brother. Upon getting the good news, Hop nearly shouted for joy.

As they smoothed the details over the phone, Leon had tried to argue that he was fine to make the short walk to Postwick, their hometown. But Hop had insisted that he pick him up from the train station.

“I doubt I’ll get lost, Hop. I used to live around there, remember?” Leon had said sheepishly over the phone the night before his arrival.

“Mhmm, sure thing Lee,” Hop replied in a convincing tone. He didn’t believe Leon at all.

Despite Leon’s fussing, Hop decided to meet him at Wedgehurst station early the next morning anyway. One reason being was to make sure his brother didn’t get lost, yes, but his _main_ reason was because he wanted to see him as soon as possible.

Usually when Leon made visits home, he was surrounded by crowds of fans and cameras the moment he stepped outside. Not that Leon ever complained. He was happy to indulge his fans and ‘give them a champion time’, as he put it.

This time however, it was early enough that there were next to no people outside. The only person Hop could see as he entered Wedgehurst was his one and only brother standing outside the station, gripping a luggage bag and looking around the street somewhat confused.

“Oi Lee!” Hop waved as he walked towards him. Leon swiveled towards the voice and grinned upon seeing his younger brother.

“Hop! It’s good to see you!” Lee put down his luggage bag and extended his arms towards Hop, which Hop took a running start at and gave him a tackle-like hug. Leon staggered a moment before righting himself and returning his brother’s hug.

Hop buried his head into Leon’s firm chest, getting a face full of his cologne and natural scent. If that wasn’t enough to make his stomach flutter, he could hear his brother’s heart pounding steadily in his ribcage and feel Leon’s body heat envelop him, shielding him from the crisp autumn breeze.

Hop had missed his brother so much. His touch, his presence, his whole being was something he could never get enough of.

The two embraced, simply enjoying each other’s presence. Finally, it was Leon who pulled back and spoke up again.

“Isn’t it early? You didn’t have to get up just to meet me, you know,” he admonished Hop with a hint of playfulness. “I... could have found the way home myself.”

Hop looked at him and rolled his eyes. “Could have? So you admit you _were_ lost?” He teased, giving him a gentle nudge in the ribs. “Be honest, you looked like a lost Yamper before I got here.”

Leon looked away sheepishly, ruffling his hair. “Maybe I was a _little_ lost…” Leon confessed, and Hop could only laugh.

The two made their way back home to their house in Postwick, where their mum was waiting for them. She hugged Leon upon seeing him, then lead him upstairs where she insisted to help him get settled in to his old room.

While Leon spent the morning unpacking, mum asked Hop if she should make him and his brother breakfast. As hungry as he was, Leon might’ve been right-- six AM was a little _too_ early for Hop. His goal for this morning was to be the first to see Leon, and Hop was content for now.

Hop politely declined, saying he would catch up on food after a quick nap, then made his way back into bed.

\-----

Hop woke up to the smell of something sweet and syrupy.

He blinked open his eyes groggily, groaning at the abrasive light filtering into his room. Squinting bleary eyed at his alarm clock, Hop discovered that it had been a few hours since he’d fallen asleep.

Suddenly remembering how hungry he was, Hop whipped the covers off his body and stumbled his way downstairs in search of the delicious smelling scent. 

Hop made his way into the kitchen and yawned as he entered the room, but then immediately froze, mouth ajar and eyes wide.

Hop and his sleep-addled brain had completely forgotten Leon was home until that very moment, where he saw him stood in front of the stove pouring batter into a frying pan, complete with a freshly trimmed beard and long hair tied up into a bun.

He had gotten dressed into casual clothes since Hop last saw him, which consisted of black and red boxers, slippers, and a grey t-shirt with a faded company logo on the back.

Hop could tell it was an older shirt, not just because of how faded it was, but because of how tight it fitted Leon’s form. From Hop’s current view he could see how it accented Leon’s broad shoulders and biceps. If his brother turned around, he bet he’d get an excellent view of his pecs too.

Hop almost didn’t notice, but upon closer inspection he saw a white string tied around his waist. Hop didn’t have to see the front of the garment-- because what else would it be?-- to know that it was The Apron.

That terrible, tacky apron Leon’s had in his possession for years. Hop remembered him claiming that he “found it at a gift shop” and “absolutely had to have it.” Hop had openly voiced his distaste for it the minute he laid eyes on it. Leon only laughed and wore it for the rest of the afternoon.

After fully taking in and indulging Leon’s appearance, Hop decided that this was completely unfair.

Hop can’t pinpoint the exact moment he fell in love with his brother. He’s felt like this for as long as he could remember, and it had only been growing stronger over the past couple of years.

But Leon wasn’t JUST his brother-- he was his best friend, his hero. Everything he did, his passion for Pokemon, his talent for battling, his love for his fans, his wits, personality, and looks had Hop watching him in admiration. Hop was in love with everything he did.

And not even a full morning of his brother being home, and Hop’s stomach already fluttered just from Leon’s casual morning look. It was an unwanted feeling at this moment, but not unfamiliar.

It was too early in the morning for this. Hop didn’t know if he could handle this right now.

He must have been standing still for a while now, because Leon finally looked over his shoulder and noticed him.

“Ah, Hop! Slept well I take it?” Leon grinned and pointed at his own head, signifying Hop’s bed hair. 

Hop realized he still had his mouth agape from his initial surprise and quickly shut it, simply nodding at Leon’s question but not actually interpreting what he said. He managed to pry his gaze away from Leon’s strong shoulders and looked away-- look _anywhere_ but at Lee, Hop-- he thought to himself, and sat at the kitchen table.

“I made pancakes!” Leon continued on, taking a finished pancake and placing it on a plate. “Mum had to run and grab more groceries, so I offered to make breakfast for us. It’s been a while since I’ve made food. Usually I’ve been too busy, but it’s a fun pass time. It’s nice to make something tasty for yourself and someone else. Oh-- Here, Hop.”

As Leon turned to deliver his food, Hop made the mistake of looking at Leon.

He was right about the shirt being too small and clinging to Leon’s chest. He wasn’t overly muscular, per say, but he was still toned and fit. Hop involuntarily swallowed his tongue at the sight.

And one quick glance at his waist gave Hop a glance of The Apron.

It was plain white, except for the large capital letters printed on the front that said “KISS THE CHAMPION”. Underneath the text, a cartoon rendition of Leon’s face winking was plastered.

It felt too much like a tease. Hop absolutely hated it, and he hated Leon more for owning it.

The longer he stared, the more suggestive Hop’s thoughts became. Like how much he wanted to wrap his arms around his waist or run his hands all along Leon’s chest.

“Careful, they’re a bit hot,” Leon warned as he placed the food down in front of him. Hop had to stop himself from asking if he meant the pancakes or his pecs.

Leon chattered away in the background as he continued making his own pancakes, clearly in a good mood and happy to be home with his brother. Hop inputted engaging sounding “mhm”s and “uhuh”s while he ate, trying to move past his attraction and actually focus on what Leon was saying, despite how his mind was still racing. 

His brother didn’t comment on how unusually quiet he was, which he was grateful for. He hoped that Leon just thought he was still half asleep.

It didn’t take him long, but Hop finished his plate of pancakes. At first Hop was skeptical when Leon said he made food. His cooking wasn’t always great. Whatever his older brother cooked tended to be a hit or miss-- usually a miss. However this time he really nailed it. The fluffiness and taste of the pancakes were near perfect.

Hop gave a satisfied ‘mm’ as he finished his last bite. Leon had sat on the opposite end of the kitchen table with his own plate sometime ago, and was currently smiling at his younger brother.

“That good, huh? And here I thought you hated my cooking,” Leon teased, kicking Hop’s shin from under the table.

Hop had finally relaxed enough and trusted himself to say sentences without making a fool of himself. “It’s not my fault you usually make everything too sweet,” Hop retorted, pointedly staring at Leon’s stack of pancakes that was currently drowning in an ungodly amount of syrup.

Leon scoffed and popped a piece of syrupy pancake into his mouth. “Well it’s not my fault you have bad taste,” he replied. Hop simply rolled his eyes and smiled.

A comfortable silence rolled over them for a moment, before Hop added, “But… yeah. It was pretty good, Lee. Compliments to the chef,” Hop grinned.

“Yeah? I suppose having my lucky apron helped me cook better,” Leon chuckled, remembering Hop’s hatred for the garment and obviously trying to get a rise out of his younger brother.

But then suddenly… whether it was from bravery, foolishness, yearning, or all three, Hop couldn’t stop himself from running his mouth.

“Well I suppose I should take the apron’s advice and pay the chef with a kiss,”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Hop panicked and snapped his attention towards Leon, gauging his reaction. He thought he saw his brother’s movements still for a brief second, but Hop wasn’t so sure.

“... Oh?” was all Leon said. His soft smile and casual posture were still the same as they were a moment ago, but now... Leon refused to meet Hop’s eyes at all, looking at a very interesting spot on the table instead.

Hop thought he was an expert at reading Leon’s body language. For years he watched playbacks of his brother’s Pokemon battles and interviews. There were certain ‘ticks’ Leon had, Hop discovered. He grew more animated if he was excited, furrowed his brow and gave a strained smile if he was nervous, and played with his hair if he was worried or embarrassed.

But as he stared at his brother, Hop couldn’t see any of his usual ticks to see if anything was wrong. Suddenly he had no idea.

Hop couldn’t get a read on Leon at all.

...

So, he decided to keep pressing him until he got something out of him.

“Yeah. I mean it’s the only way to repay someone that amazing, don’t you think?” Hop spoke, choosing his words carefully.

Leon said nothing and did nothing, the only hint that he heard Hop at all was an involuntary twitch of his face. But he continued to look away from him.

Somewhere in his subconscious, a warning flag popped up and something told Hop to stop. This was going too far, it told him.

Instead of listening to his gut, he acted on his desires instead.

Hop got up from his seat and walked the length of the table towards Leon, placing one hand behind his chair then bent down slightly to face him at eye-level.

Finally, he got a reaction. Leon’s brows furrowed slightly and his soft smile grew tense. He caught his brother’s golden gaze for a brief moment, but Leon looked away just as quick, staring off in the opposite direction of Hop.

The tension in the air around them grew thick and overbearing. This was Hop’s final chance to stop, to put an end to his actions. Leon had tried his best to hide it, but he was obviously nervous. He _should_ have stopped and cracked a bad joke or pulled a dumb face to say “haha it was all a prank, see?”

But Hop was in way too deep now. And staring at Leon’s tight shirt and sharp jawline and trimmed beard and done up hair bun only fueled Hop’s desire.

He had come so far. He didn’t _want_ to stop.

He wanted this. He wanted _him_.

Carefully, inching his face forward ever so slowly, he watched his brother’s face for any changes. He went slow enough to give Leon enough time to back away if he wanted. Slow enough for Leon to voice any objections or to push him away.

When Hop found no resistance, he leaned the distance between him and Leon.

And pressed his lips to the very corner of his mouth.

It was a compromise-- as much as Hop wanted to take it further, to explore Leon’s lips, to discover how he tasted, he had already pushed the boundary too far. Immediately afterwards, adrenaline and panic kicked in and Hop’s guilt finally won over. The old questions raced through his head along with some new ones: Was he too obvious about how he felt about Leon? What did Leon think? Did Leon hate him? Did Leon want to see his face ever again?

He was supposed to make sure there were no hints. No clues, no evidence, nothing to allude that what he felt for Leon was more than just familial love.

He was supposed to be more careful than that, but instead he gave in to his emotions. How did he let it go downhill so quickly?

Hop had really done it this time.

But as Hop pulled back, the taste of sweet syrup lingering on his lips, Leon didn’t get angry or shove him away or walk out of the room, as Hop feared he might. Instead Leon’s brow only furrowed deeper and his adam’s apple bobbed once, then twice, as if he was working himself up to say something.

But after several moments, Leon ultimately remained silent.

Hop had no idea what Leon would say in this situation, and deep down he didn’t _want_ to know. His only saving grace was the hope that his brother would see him as being overly affectionate after being away from each other for so long, and nothing more. But... 

If Leon thought otherwise, or if he caught on to Hop’s feelings, then…

Hop didn’t know. He had no clue what would happen. And that scared him.

“Thanks… for breakfast, bro,” Hop muttered, moving fast to collect his own finished plate and placing it in the sink. He needed to get out of here.

“... You‘re welcome,” was all Leon responded with after moments of silence. Hop left the kitchen and retreated back into his room, leaving Leon in silence.

\-----

Hop and Leon spent the rest of the morning apart, but as the day went by, things slowly went back to normal: Leon returned to his usual charming, carefree self, and asked Hop if he wanted to come with him on a walk to the local park. Hop pushed aside his feelings and guilt for the time being and enthusiastically agreed. Despite what conspired that morning, he wanted to hang out with Leon as much as he could while he was visiting.

It wasn’t as cold as it was that morning, and it ended up being a pleasant day out. By now the morning frost had melted and the sun shone agreeably. Leon let out Charizard and the rest of his team while Hop took out his Wooloo, allowing them to run in the field or play around ponds and rivers.

The two brothers walked through the park, catching up on what was new. Leon talked about how training his Pokemon team had been going and why this year’s Gym Challenge had been delayed. (The Chairman was taking longer on his business trip than he anticipated-- apparently busy studying the importance of Wishing Stars)

Meanwhile Hop enthused about the delicious food he got from Wedgehurst’s farmers’ market a week prior, which somehow ended up shifting to the topic of school. Hop groaned as he remembered the huge test he had coming up. (“That soon? But the school season just started!” Leon exclaimed.)

They found a park bench to rest on and together they shared good-natured banter, watching their Pokemon play and enjoying each other’s company until the sun began to set. Hop received a text from their mum saying that supper was ready, signalling that it was time for them to head back.

At a glance, things seemed all right between Hop and Leon. The atmosphere felt peaceful the entire time they spent at the park, walking back home, and sharing dinner with their mother. And when it was time to wind down to sleep, the two brothers hugged each other goodnight and left to their respective rooms, feeling content from such a pleasant day together.

But Hop, as he lay awake restless in bed, knew there was something left hanging in the air between them. It was hidden, unspoken, but the heavy presence seemed to weigh on his conscious. Hop wondered if Leon felt it too.

They never brought up what happened in the kitchen this morning. They never mentioned the kiss.

As hard as he tried, Hop couldn’t forget how soft Leon’s skin felt as he pressed his lips to him. He couldn’t forget about the lingering smell of his aftershave, or the sweet taste that lingered on his lips. And as bad as Hop felt for making his brother feel that way, he couldn’t forget Leon’s nervous expression and the brief eye contact they made before Hop came in for the kiss.

Hop could feel his face growing flush in the darkness of his room, and the only thing he could hear was the loud thumping of his heart.

Now that Hop was alone and had the time to reflect on what happened, he realized his feelings were no clearer than they were earlier today.

Of course he felt bad for putting Leon in that position. He felt bad for pushing something like that on him when he wasn’t sure if he even wanted it. Above all, he was worried that Leon had caught on to his feelings and was gearing up to hate him for it.

But damn. If given the chance, he would do it again just to feel Leon’s lips on his once more.

Groaning, exhausted from worrying about the whole debacle all day, Hop rolled over and tried to clear his head. Eventually, his thoughts began to fade and he drifted to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alt chapter title: "leon doesn't realize how hot he is"
> 
> someone draw leon with a man bun and i'll pay you cold hard cash.
> 
> also, i have a twitter! if anyone is interested, you can send me prompts and i might yell about leon/hop related things late at night. @brewshipping


	2. Sunday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tags have been added and updated! be sure to check them out quick before reading.

Hop woke up the next morning, with yesterday’s events quickly flooding back into his mind. Though still feeling a bit distraught and worried over what transpired, he felt well rested nonetheless.

The sun shone brightly into his room, signifying it was late in the morning already. Hop slid off his bed and gave a few quick stretches, then proceeded to get ready for the day. While he changed into more presentable clothes other than his pajamas and fixed his mussed hair, he heard a knock at his door.

“Hop? You up yet?”

Hop smiled upon hearing Leon’s voice. No matter the situation, it was always a comforting and familiar sound to hear. “Just a sec!” he called, before walking over to his bedroom door and opening it.

There stood Leon, smiling brightly at Hop upon seeing him.

Luckily or unluckily, Hop didn’t know, Leon’s look was more forgiving on Hop’s soul than the one from the previous morning. His brother wore an open bathrobe on top of a more fitting shirt-- one that DIDN’T cling to every curve of his torso-- fire patterned boxers, and slippers. His hair cascaded past his shoulders and curled at the tips, looking slightly damp from being washed.

In his hands, Leon held out a small plate filled with small baked pastries covered in glaze and jam. The sweet, warm smell hit Hop’s nose almost immediately, and he realized just how hungry he was.

“‘Morning. I made scones,” his brother said with a wide grin, and gestured to the plate. 

“Wow...” Hop took one from the plate, admiring its perfectly round shape and evened layer of glaze. “These look good, Lee. Thanks!” he praised, before taking a bite into his scone.

… Which he inwardly winced at upon tasting it. As Hop discovered, the scones were too sweet for his liking-- because of course they were. The pancakes from yesterday may have been good, but Leon’s sweet tooth was nefarious.

But just as Hop was about to complain, he paused, seeing his brother’s grin grow from delight that Hop was finally enjoying his cooking for once. Hop didn’t have the heart to tell him otherwise. So he decided to let it slide this time.

Leon popped a scone in his mouth, chewing it before speaking up. “They’re showing highlights of past gym challenges on the telly to make up for this year’s season being delayed. You should come down to watch,” he offered, shrugging nonchalantly.

Hop had known Leon long enough to pick up another meaning behind his words. Leon probably meant that he wanted his company, but he suggested it in a way that he wouldn’t _actually_ have to admit it.

Although he found it endearing, Hop wasn’t sure why he didn’t just _ask_ him to hang out. He’d never shied away from it before. Was Hop right when he wondered if Leon felt the shift between them from yesterday?

The scones were probably another bribe to get him to hang out, but Hop didn’t need incentives to do that anyway. Watching Pokemon battles together was an activity they did since they were young, and Hop was always eager to spend time with his brother.

“Sure, sounds fun,” he agreed, making a move towards the stairs. “And you can do the thing where you talk about the matches, too.”

The two made their way downstairs and sat together on a loveseat facing the TV, the plate of scones and two cups of tea Leon had made in the meantime placed on the table in front of them.

The program currently displayed matches from last year’s Champion Cup. Trainers that had finished the Gym Challenge faced off against each other in the semi-finals and battled gym leaders also trying to claim the champion title in the finals. If they managed to get through _that_ , they had a final showdown against Leon himself.

Last year, only a few gym challengers managed to get to the finals, but all fell victim to the gym leaders one way or another. Leon commentated the matches as they played, scrutinizing each challenger’s Pokemon team, their abilities as a trainer and their strategies in battle. Sometimes he would cheerily point out one of the gym challengers and mention how he met some of them personally, as well as what he thought of them as a person.

It was one thing watching these matches on his own time, but it was also another having Galar’s number one trainer and undefeatable champion narrate the matches alongside him. Leon wasn’t the champion by chance, that’s for sure-- his knowledge and insight on Pokemon battles ran deep. Hop often learned so much from him whenever they watched battles together.

All of the finals bracket matches finished playing, and the last battle between the winner and the champion began.

The finals winner and Leon’s opponent ended up being Raihan-- Hammerlocke’s gym leader.

Raihan had started the match off strong, setting up weather effects and sending out his best Pokemon, obviously determined to win. For a while his strategy worked, and he grew more confident after knocking out a few of Leon’s Pokemon.

But the Leon on screen remained calm and collected, as if it wasn’t anything he hadn’t seen before. The Leon on the couch sitting beside Hop described Raihan as a solid trainer and incredibly strong in battle, but he knew he had a weakness that he could easily exploit-- his pride.

Leon had used evasive maneuvers and persevered through Raihan’s attacks as best as he could, waiting until Raihan’s team began to grow fatigued before coming in with immense force, wiping out his team one by one. Once Raihan figured out that Leon was toying with him and trying to wear him out through attrition, he became increasingly frustrated. His decisions and commands grew sloppy, and before he could come up with a way to retaliate, he had lost.

The Rotom camera panned to Raihan once the match was over. Irritation and disappointment was clear on his face, but he smiled nonetheless, accepting his defeat.

The two trainers walked towards the center of the stadium to shake hands, as is customary after a battle. But whereas Leon extended his hand, Raihan ignored it, instead looping his arm around Leon’s waist and pulling him to his side, facing them both towards the camera.

“I may have lost, but it was a good match! As expected of my one and only rival,” Raihan congratulated and flashed a photogenic smile towards the camera. Leon looked briefly startled at being handled so unexpectedly-- it was so brief that Hop almost didn’t catch it-- but he quickly masked it up and smiled alongside Raihan.

“Likewise, Raihan! You fight well!” Leon agreed, reaching an arm around and clasping his hand on Raihan’s shoulder.

Hop’s stomach dropped at the sight.

Raihan rolled his eyes in response. “Maybe, but in the end you never gave me a chance,” he scoffed, giving Leon’s side a squeeze and then released his hold on him.

As he began to walk away, Raihan looked back at Leon and flashed him a coy smirk. “Remember, I’ll be coming for you again next time, champion.” Raihan winked, then proceeded to walk off the pitch.

Hop gripped his knees, feeling his insides roil in anger. He remembered watching this match live last year. He remembered watching this exact moment and feeling his guts twist, feeling his limbs grow numb and cold. Seeing it a second time didn’t make it hurt any less.

He respected Raihan as a trainer, of course, but whenever he got too friendly with Leon or vice versa, Hop couldn’t help his emotions from flaring.

As the TV program cut away to an intermission, Hop tore away his focus to try and collect his composure. He glanced over at Leon briefly and found he was completely relaxed, hardly having reacted to himself and Raihan on the screen.

Hop’s mind briefly flashed to yesterday, to their interaction in the kitchen. He didn’t want to bring any more attention to himself, to give any clues regarding Hop’s secret feelings, but… if he didn’t ask now, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever get the chance to again. 

“Lee, I… was wondering,” Hop swallowed, trying to keep his tone casual.

“Hm? About what?”

“So, you and Raihan…”

“Mm?”

“... Uh…”

Hop started to fidget, already regretting asking. He had a feeling this was going to end poorly, but… he needed closure. He wasn’t sure what he would do if he was given an answer he didn’t want to hear. But he needed to know.

“Are, uh… you two…” Hop struggled, trying to find the right words. He looked around the room for a bit before finding Leon’s expression-- looking at him curiously, but also slightly confused. Hop bit his tongue and swallowed his nerves before trying again.

“Are you and Raihan… together? He always seems to be close to you, and I just thought…” Hop trailed off, watching his brother’s expression. At first it was one of bewilderment, but then Leon doubled over, barking a loud laugh. 

It was Hop’s turn to look bewildered. This wasn’t the reaction he was expecting.

“Me and _Raihan_? Ah, Hop, you’re so funny,” Leon chuckled, “I-- oh,” he turned to look at Hop, smiling fading some as he caught his expression. “You’re serious?”

Hop nodded uneasily. 

Leon scratched his beard and leaned back into his seat, giving a moment’s pause before answering. Hop braced himself for the worse.

“No,” Leon said, shaking his head. “Raihan and I aren’t a thing.”

Hop let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. All the tension in his body escaped in a long, silent exhale.

Leon continued. “I suppose we know each other well enough to be considered friends, but we barely talk outside of League business. Plus he’s kind of like that with everyone,” Leon shrugged, giving Hop a patient smile.

“Mm, I see…” Hop muttered plainly, looking away and pretending to be disinterested. Deep down, however, Hop had never felt more relieved. Raihan didn’t like Leon, Leon didn’t like Raihan, and they weren’t together. That was the best possible answer he could have gotten.

“And uh, besides,” Leon added offhandedly, shrugging. “Raihan’s not my type anyway.”

Hop blinked. That got him thinking. What _was_ Leon’s type? What did he like in a person? Their personality? Looks? Did he like someone already? Did Hop even have a chance, as unrealistic as his desires were?

Silence spread between them. Hop could see Leon still looking at him in his peripherals, and he felt warm under his gaze. A few beats later, Leon spoke up again.

“Don’t worry, little bro,” he said assuringly. Leon shuffled closer to Hop, closing the gap between them. Their legs pressed together and Hop felt an arm sneak its way around his shoulder. The warmth radiating from Leon’s body and the smell of baked goods, body wash, and Leon’s natural scent of spice enveloped him immediately. Hop’s whole being stuttered and his mind went blank.

“No one can take away your spot as my number one person, and if you think otherwise then you’d better guess again,” Leon beamed at him. The grip on his shoulder tightened-- but remained snug.

The TV program returned from its intermission and Leon turned his attention back to the screen. Hop, however, remained stark still, unable to stop himself from flushing and growing hot.

His mind felt like it was going everywhere and nowhere all at once. All of his senses felt overwhelmed, down to his legs where their skin touched, in his chest where his heart continued to race, and up to his head where Leon’s fresh shower scent filled his mind. His entire being radiated, as if everything were screaming _Leon, Leon Leon_.

Hop had expected Leon to move away shortly after, but as the program continued, his brother remained. He never once returned to his original spot or removed the arm from over his shoulder.

It was hard to focus on anything else and Hop wasn’t sure if he imagined it. But Hop could have sworn that when Leon moved in, he felt his brother’s breathing grow ever so slightly faster, and ever so slightly deeper.

\-----

By the time the gym challenge highlights finished playing, it was well into the afternoon and the two brothers had several hours to kill before their evening plans with their mother. Leon decided to go out for a quick jog-- he got restless if he was inside for too long-- and do some training with his Pokemon.

Hop, in the meantime, decided to go on a mission to Wedgehurst’s sweets shop.

He and Leon used to visit the store more when they were kids. While Hop wasn’t fond of overly sweet things, he wanted to get something nice for his brother before he left again.

Hop clutched his purchase in a brown paper bag upon exiting the store, flushing a bit at his gift choice. He thought it was too corny and not a gift you typically gave your brother, but it was so utterly _Leon_. Hop had a feeling that he’d love it.

Hop returned home and stashed the treats in his room where they’d be hidden until he was ready to give them to Leon. With neither his mother or his brother home, and not much else to do, Hop decided to make himself productive and get working on chores around the house.

By the time the sun started to go down, Hop had already finished most of his chores and Leon and their mother had gotten home sometime after then. All three of them began to prepare for their dinner tonight. 

Their family was visiting a high end restaurant in Motostoke, one that was owned by Chairman Rose. The waitlist was unreasonably long on any given day, but Rose himself had given Leon (and by extension, him and his mother) reservations for one of the restaurant’s more secluded seating areas as an apology for the Gym Challenge delay.

Hop had just finished getting dressed for the night out, checking over his appearance in the mirror. His outfit consisted of black trousers, dress shoes, and a plain white dress shirt paired with a teal clip-on bowtie. It was a simple look, but stylish enough to be Hop’s taste.

Hop gave himself one last look over to make sure nothing was amiss, then once he decided he was good to go, he hurried downstairs where they were to rendezvous.

As he reached the bottom step he saw his mother standing by the front door, wearing a soft, pastel yellow blouse and a floral print skirt, looking happy. It wasn’t every day she got to dress up and go somewhere nice-- she was usually so busy with work. Hop felt glad that she finally had the chance to wind down for a night.

And beside her, stood Leon.

Hop saw occasionally saw him dressed up in interviews and opening ceremonies, but it was another thing seeing him when he was stood right in front of him. He sported a black blazer that shaped his broad shoulders, accented by a crimson cravat sitting comfortably at his collar. From the waist down, his thighs and calves were fitted by beige trousers, and his outfit finished with pointed leather shoes. As Hop’s eyes travelled towards Leon’s face, his breath hitched slightly upon finding that his bangs were swept slightly to the side and that his long hair was done in a large braid that looped over his shoulder.

 _He’s beautiful,_ was Hop’s immediate thought. Leon was always beautiful, and handsome and radiant. But sometimes it took something extra-- in this case, a dashing outfit-- to really drive the point home.

Leon turned his attention towards Hop entering the room, and unexpected to Hop, his brother’s eyes widened and his mouth parted slightly upon seeing him. He flushed as Leon gave him a once over of his form before looking up to meet Hop’s eyes.

Leon’s looked at him like this before, but originally Hop never paid it much attention. However this time, as their eyes connected, Hop swore a spark of electricity jolted between them. This was… a different feeling than what he was used to. Hop couldn’t figure out what it meant.

“Are we ready to go, boys?” their mother asked, and the two interrupted their staring to look at her.

Hop recovered, giving a nod to her question. “I think we’re ready to go, aren’t we Lee?” he inquired, pointedly directing the question at his brother.

One blink indicated Leon processed what he said, and he nodded as well. “Yeah, I’m ready,” he responded, albeit a bit more slowly.

“Let’s go then, we don’t want to miss our train,” she smiled, opening the front door and taking the lead out towards Wedgehurst station.

Before he decided to follow her, Hop turned towards Leon and gave him a wide smile. “You look great, Lee! You always look good whenever you’re all dressed up,” he complimented earnestly.

“Ah-- thanks,” Leon said, looking a bit bashful and playing with the end of his braid. “I-- didn’t know you wore bowties,” he nodded at the accessory under his collar.

Hop shrugged. “It was originally for a wedding I went to with mum, but I guess I like looking posh every now and then,” he adjusted the position of the bowtie slightly, then looked up at Leon with another grin.

“Well, I gotta say you clean up rather well. It suits you, Hop,” Leon smiled, voice soft with affection.

Hop couldn’t help but blush at the compliment. He thought he was finally getting his emotions under control when he was around Leon, but when the familiar Butterfrees began to fill his stomach, Hop should’ve known Leon could never fail to make him feel so flustered.

“I-- uh, thanks Lee...” Hop muttered, scratching the back of his neck and Leon’s smile only widened in return.

“Come on, we’d better catch up with mum,” Leon advised. He gave Hop’s shoulder a parting pat, then reached out to hold the door open for him. Hop inwardly stamped out any remaining nerves he had and nodded, walking out the front door with Leon following behind him.

\-----

They arrived at their destination about a half hour later, and the three of them stepped through the restaurant’s main doors. It was fancier than Hop had anticipated, with high ceilings and archways accented with whites and golds, glass chandeliers, and a deep red carpet that cushioned their step.

 _Chairman Rose certainly didn’t cut corners when it came to investing this place_ , Hop thought.

They confirmed their reservation and the waiter led them further into the establishment, towards one of the more secluded tables-- one that was in front of a large window with tapestries on either side.

As Hop walked behind his mum and Leon, something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention and Hop slowed to a stop.

A long ginger haired girl-- perhaps a year or so older than himself-- sat alone at a small table, staring at her Rotom phone. But what really caught Hop’s attention was the sleepy looking Pokemon that lay at her feet. It was a Wooloo, only with its colours inverted-- black wool instead of white, and a pale face instead of a brown one.

Upon realizing exactly what it was, Hop gasped loudly.

“Wow, look at that! A shiny Wooloo!” Hop exclaimed, making his way towards the two and bending down in front of the Pokemon, extending a hand towards it. The Pokemon snapped open its eyes and jolted at Hop’s loud voice, but then cautioned itself forward to sniff his hand.

The girl looked up from her phone and turned her attention towards Hop. “Ah, thanks! Ain’t she a sweetie?” She crooned at the Wooloo and smiled at the gentle “baa!” it made in response.

Hop blinked briefly in surprise, not anticipating the twangy accent of her voice. But he didn’t comment on it further.

Hop slowly raised his hand closer to the Wooloo, and when it didn’t flinch away, he tenderly pat its head. “You’re so lucky. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a shiny Wooloo before,” he awed, repeatedly running his hand through the soft wool. The Wooloo looked up at him with big round eyes and “baa’d” softly in content.

The girl giggled. “Truthfully, I didn’t even know she was shiny at first,” she admitted, and Hop looked up at her in surprise. Seeing his reaction, she elaborated. “She was the first Pokemon I met in Galar. I kinda assumed all Wooloo’d look like her, ‘till I saw a whole bunch of white ones in a nearby field. That’s when I knew she was different.”

She stood up from her seat and extended a handshake towards him. Hop got up from his kneeling position and took her hand.

“Name’s Naomi, by the way,” she said, giving his hand an energetic shake. “You?”

“Hop,” he replied, letting their hands fall away.

“Hop...?”

“Huh?”

“Hop what?”

“Uh, Hop… me? That’s my name?”

“Oh, how cute!”

Naomi put a hand over her mouth and giggled. Hop didn’t know if there was a joke he was supposed to be getting.

“So...” Hop shuffled awkwardly, “I don’t take it you’re from around here? Where are you from?” he asked.

“Oh, Unova,” Naomi said shrugging, twirling a finger around a lock of hair. “It’s all right, but I must say I like it here in Galar. Lots of open space and scenery to be seen. No shortage of friendly faces either,” she winked at him and Hop chuckled, albeit a bit nervously.

“Anyways, my poppa is in the region for business purposes, and he was generous enough to let me come along. He’s here tonight, just using the restroom right now,” she said, gesturing to the empty seat across from her. Hop simply hummed in response.

“So, what about you, _Hop_? What brings you here tonight?” Naomi asked him. She enunciated the ‘p’ at the end of his name to make a popping sound, giggling as she did so. Hop still wasn’t sure if there was a joke he was missing.

“I live here in Galar, in Postwick. I’m just having dinner with my mum and my brother and-- oh. I should probably get back to them...” he trailed off, staring off to where he had seen them walk off to last, but was interrupted by Naomi grabbing one of his hands. Hop jumped slightly at the contact.

“Ah, wait!” she urged. “I don’t really have many friends in Galar, and I’d love to make some new ones while I’m here,” Naomi mentioned casually, but as Hop met her eyes, he thought he saw something else hidden behind them. She was already carrying on before Hop could dwell on it.

“How about I give you my number and we can meet up sometime? You seem awfully sweet. I think we just might get along,” she offered, giving him a soft smile to finish and Hop felt him begin to grow warm under the collar.

It wasn’t that Naomi was a bad person. No, far from it. He agreed that they _would_ get along, but... Hop had begun to feel strangely uncomfortable as they spoke. Maybe it was how strong she came on, or maybe it was how he suspected she might be interested in him. And if that were the case, he wouldn’t be able to return those feelings.

He already felt strongly about someone. And that wasn’t about to change, if ever.

“Well, I--” 

“Hop?”

Hop swivelled around towards the familiar voice. From behind him, he saw Leon approaching him in his black blazer and narrow trousers and long, braided hair.

Any tension Hop had melted at the sight of his brother. Of his champion, his love.

Yeah. He wouldn’t trade Leon for anyone in the world.

“I was wondering where you went. We got our table and-- who’s this?” Leon paused, stepping close behind him. Leon was _very_ close, in fact. Hop’s breathing caught in his throat as he felt Leon’s warm front press against his back, a firm hand laid on his shoulder. Hop vaguely noticed Naomi drop her hand from his as Leon addressed her.

“Lee, this is Naomi,” he introduced, gesturing to the smiling girl. “I noticed her shiny Wooloo, and wanted to say hello. Sorry for making you worry,” he assumed Leon was worried anyway, as he couldn’t quite tell from his face at this angle. Hop looked up in his general direction apologetically. 

“I see,” was all Leon said.

Naomi waved at Leon politely. “Hello! You’re Hop’s brother?” she inquired. “He’s awful cute, you know!”

Leon only gave a monotonous ‘mm’, but Hop felt him tighten his grip on his shoulder to the point where it started to feel uncomfortable. Hop inwardly winced.

Naomi, on the other hand, had paused slightly, looking back and forth between their two faces. “Wait… Lee…?” She stopped on Leon’s face, squinting hard at him before her face lit up. “Oh, I’ve seen you before! You’re champion Leon, Galar’s top Pokemon trainer!” she blurted, her expression incredulous that she was in the presence of someone so famous. Behind her, the Wooloo lifted its head in response to the noise, but then relaxed again, closing its eyes.

Her outburst grabbed the attention of other nearby diners and several heads turned towards their group. Hop caught some of their comments as they whispered to each other.

“Whoa, it really is Leon!”

“What? The champion?”

“Leon’s here?”

“What’s going on?”

“Is that his little brother?”

Leon’s nails started to dig into his shoulder painfully. This time Hop gave a small “ow” and the grip slackened immediately, as if Leon was unaware that he was unintentionally hurting Hop.

“That would be me,” Leon affirmed Naomi’s claim, not commenting or even acknowledging the gasps uttered from her and the crowd around them.

“Wow…” Naomi gasped, her eyes star-struck. “Do… Is it okay if I get an autograph? Or maybe a picture? Oh, I didn’t think I’d--”

Leon held up a hand, cutting her off. “Unfortunately, Hop and I have a dinner to get to. So if you’ll excuse us...” 

That raised as suspicious in Hop’s ears. Usually Leon loved to indulge his fans and put on a bit of theatrics. And he supposed it made sense that Leon would want to get back to his evening, but… tonight he wasn’t even _entertaining_ the idea of doing something for his fans. He seemed more impatient to get out of there, if anything.

“Oh, okay. Sorry! Maybe another time,” Naomi waved them off, but then directed a quick whisper to Hop. “Wow, Hop, I can’t believe your brother’s the champion!”

“Heh, yeah, Lee’s really something,” Hop tried to agree, but he was already being steered and pulled away by Leon gripping on to his hand. “Uh, bye!” he waved after Naomi.

“Bye! Maybe we’ll see each other again too!” Naomi responded, waving back in return. The Wooloo who had remained silent for most of their interaction gave one final “baa”, blinking its round eyes at them as they walked away.

Leon took long strides as he pulled him towards their table, and Hop had to speed walk to keep from toppling over. Leon was an assured and assertive person, and that’s part of what made him strong. But he was never this… pushy. And Hop didn’t know _why_.

It was worrying, to say the least.

“Everything all right, Lee?” Hop asked him, and when Leon didn’t turn around, he tried again. “Lee, are you okay? Lee? ...Leon!”

Leon whipped his head back to look at him.

His expression was… complicated. Hop could pick out several emotions, like irritation and exasperation-- but something else also reflected in Leon’s darkened eyes… Something almost like... insecurity? He wasn’t sure if he _ever_ saw this sort of expression on his brother’s face. His brows were pinched tight and his mouth was set in a hard line, but his features softened immediately upon seeing Hop.

“Hop...” he murmured and turned around to face him entirely. Leon dropped Hop’s hand and snatched it away, looking uncomfortable. Hop gave him a puzzled frown.

“What happened back there, Lee? That wasn’t like you. You seem… worked up?” 

“I was just--” Leon started. His mouth worked soundlessly, on the verge of saying something, but in the end he just puffed out an exhale. “I don’t know? I’m not sure what came over me, I just reacted, and….” he trailed off, staring at the floor. “I don’t...”

Hop frowned at him sympathetically, however still not quite understanding what was wrong. But if he couldn’t understand, he could at least move in closer to give Leon some sort of physical comfort-- a hand on his shoulder, a hug, _something_ at the very least.

But Leon shuffled away when he got too close, instead turning his back to Hop so he wasn’t able to see his face.

“Let’s just head back to mum, okay?” Leon said, his voice even and level, and continued to walk in their original direction.

Hop stood there, hand still slightly outstretched before he dropped it uselessly to his side.

Whatever was wrong, it obviously had something to do with something that happened back at Naomi’s table. But for whatever reason, he couldn’t help but feel it was _his_ fault Leon was upset.

Hop was always there for Leon, whether it be cheering him on through the screen or being there to welcome him home. And now, when he wanted to be there for him most-- to _comfort_ him most, he wasn’t able to.

Because this time Hop did something wrong, and he wasn’t able to fix it.

And just when he thought he and Lee had returned back to normal since the incident in the kitchen… Hop thought, and he clenched his fist in frustration.

With his mind distracted with what transpired, the rest of the night seemed to fly by. Leon, followed by Hop, returned to their seats where their mother waited, and the three of them ordered their food. Hop only vaguely remembered ordering something called a _manicotti_.

While they waited for their meals, Hop’s mother asked him where he wandered off to earlier. Hop retold the interaction between himself, Naomi, and her Wooloo.

“... And I think… she might have been interested in me?” Hop said hesitantly. His mother ‘oooo’d’ in response and in the corner of his eye, Leon remained uncharacteristically silent, fidgeting with the hem of his blazer sleeve.

“And? What did you think?” his mother prompted.

Hop shrugged. “I mean, I just met her. I think I’d need more time to see if I liked someone that way.”

And… Hop should have left it at that. He should have cut off the conversation, acted like it was no big deal, and forget it ever happened.

And he would have, if he didn’t side glance at Leon again. Hop thought about how lucky he was to have someone as incredible as him in his life. How he wouldn’t give him up for anything. How he only wanted to see him succeed and smile. And how _foolish_ he was to do something that made Leon upset instead. Hop’s heart gave a painful ache.

And like the time where he kissed Leon in the kitchen, or when he pressed him if he was with Raihan just this morning, Hop decided he didn’t want to stop. And so he didn’t, and let his heart do the thinking instead of his head.

“In any case, I’ve… liked someone for a long time now, anyway,” Hop mumbled, flushing at his confession.

He watched as his mother gasped, eyes practically lighting up and clasping her hands together. 

Beside him, any movement from Leon stilled completely.

Hop didn’t dare look at him.

“Oh, my sweet Hop is growing up!” she exclaimed and reached over the table to clasp her hands with his own. Hop was grateful that they had seats away from the main crowd, so no one could see his embarrassment. 

“Who is it? What are they like? How long have you liked them?” his mother grilled him for answers, and Hop only scratched anxiously at the back of his neck.

“C’mon, I gotta have some secrets don’t I?” Hop laughed nervously. He had already said too much, taken too many risks. Any answers would only cause her to ask _more_ questions and the chance of his secret being exposed would grow too high.

And… Hop knew he shouldn’t, but he needed to see Leon. Hesitantly, he chanced a look at him.

His gaze remained fixed down at his sleeve, but now his expression was… less tense and more puzzled, if anything. 

Hop couldn’t quite place his look. Leon was thinking rather deeply, but about what?

Dinner arrived soon enough and the three dug into the meals, the earlier conversation having been dropped for the time being.

One thing that bothered him though, was how quiet Leon was. He didn’t speak up unless there was a question or topic directed at him, and even then his answers remained brief. Mum gave her son a worried frown, but continued to try and include him in conversations nonetheless.

As the night grew, so did Hop’s concern. At one point he tried to get Leon’s attention by nudging his foot discreetly under the table.

 _Are you okay?_ Hop mouthed at him. The most response Hop got was a brief flash of eye contact and a quiet ‘mm’ before Leon looked away again, returning to his earlier expression.

So he was still upset at him, he supposed. Hop sighed gloomily. If he couldn’t get a straight answer from Leon, then Hop had to consider the facts. He thought back to Leon’s earlier behaviour back at Naomi’s table. That’s obviously when he first started acting off.

He was notably agitated, even straight up _annoyed_. But he also seemed… so protective of Hop. Hop shivered remembering Leon’s warmth and presence pressing into his back. Leon was _so_ close to him.

But to anyone else, even his fans, Leon seemed dismissive and offstandish. Especially towards Naomi.

… Towards Naomi, who Leon reacted strongly to when she held Hop’s hand, and when she called him cute.

Wait--

Was _that_ what Leon was worried about?

Was he worried she wasn’t a good match for him? Or was he just looking out for him? Why would he be worried about him liking Naomi?

Or unless it was more about Naomi liking _him_? Was he... acting on jealousy?

But… no. As much as he wanted to believe that, his rationale told him it was impossible. Why would he be jealous?

Soon, their dinner came to an end. After paying their bills (Leon broke his silence by insisting he pay for all three of them. Being the champion with many sponsors left him with expendable funds, after all), they left the restaurant and stepped outside into the cool autumn night.

His mother informed that they should start heading back to the train station, but Hop declined, saying he wanted to show Leon something while they were in Motostoke.

Leon didn’t say anything to confirm or deny Hop’s statement. He only gave his brother a concerned look.

“Okay,” his mum allowed, “but come home as soon as you can. It’s already dark, and you have school tomorrow!” she admonished him playfully. Waving goodbye to her two sons, she made her way towards the Motostoke train station, and Hop watched her disappear down the street.

Hop then led his brother down the street a little ways away from the restaurant. He wandered towards a city bench and beckoned Leon to come sit with him. Hesitantly, Leon obliged.

Truthfully, Hop didn’t have anything to show Leon-- he just wanted a moment to talk in peace.

They sat in silence for a moment, until they both spoke up.

“I--”

“So--”

Hop scratched the back of his head nervously. “Sorry, can I go first?” he asked, looking sheepish.

“... Okay,” Leon breathed. Another moment of silence passed, and this time Leon waited patiently for Hop to speak.

“Lee… you have to tell me what’s wrong,” Hop stated, forcing himself to keep his tone calm and level-headed. “Something happened back there, and I can’t say for sure what it was. But tonight, the entire time during dinner, I think... _I_ was the one who upset you and _I_ was the problem. If the issue really is with me, then please,” Hop pleaded, staring deep into Leon’s golden eyes, “Tell me what I did wrong. So I can do better. I want things to go back to normal-- and I never wanted to hurt you. I’m sorry.” 

The longer Hop spoke, the more Leon’s offstandish demeanor started to crack. By the end of Hop’s speech, Leon’s expression was one of remorse.

“Oh, Hop… no, that’s-- you could never upset me. That’s not what the problem was, I--”

Leon took a deep breath, and ran his fingers through his hair before he tried again. “Hop, I’m sorry... for what happened with your friend back in the restaurant,” he spoke quietly. Hop had to strain his ears to pick up what he said. But that confirmed one of his suspicions-- Naomi’s interactions with him had something to do with how upset Leon was.

“You were just making a new friend, and I just felt-- I mean... I overreacted for no good reason, and it got nowhere. In the end I just ended up hurting _you_ and made you think you did something wrong. But that’s far from the truth. I promise you,” Leon returned Hop’s unwavering gaze, and he reached out and held Hop’s hand as a sign of reassurance. Hop’s heart flip-flopped at Leon initiating physical contact.

He took a steadying breath in before speaking again. “But, then… what _was_ wrong?” Hop inquired. He gave Leon’s hand a small squeeze, and Leon tightened his grip in return.

Leon stared down at their clasped hands, looking a bit forlorn. “It was… dumb, and unreasonable, really. I… let my emotions get the better of me,” he mumbled, but didn’t elaborate further.

Hop’s brows furrowed, his mind thinking back to another one of his suspicions. Naomi getting friendly with Hop was a reason why Leon was acting this way, but did that really mean…?

Hop stared at Leon with intensity, taking in his features in the dim light. Lately it was growing harder to read Leon for his emotions. But he wanted to know what was going on in his brother’s head. He wanted to understand. And although he wasn’t sure if it was okay to ask this sort of thing, although he was taking yet _another_ risk, he decided to take the plunge anyway.

“Lee, were you… jealous of her?”

“... What?!”

Leon let their hands drop and stood up abruptly. It was nigh impossible to tell from the dim glow of the street lights, or maybe it was just his overeager imagination, but Hop thought he saw Leon’s cheek grow a deeper shade.

“I-- uh, well,” Leon cleared his throat and folded his arms around himself defensively, avoiding his brother’s gaze. Hop just stared at him, perplexed.

His reaction said plenty. Leon _was_ jealous. But why? Surely that didn’t mean he felt the same as Hop did. They were... related, Hop begrudgingly acknowledged. There was just no feasible way Leon would be in love with his brother.

And even then, Leon was incredibly amazing, smart, handsome, charming… Hop could go on. Plus, he was Galar’s number one trainer-- he probably had the entire region ogling him, most of which were already lining up to date him. There was no possibility that Hop would ever be in the same league as Leon.

Leon massaged his neck nervously while his other arm remained wrapped around his torso. After a few beats of silence, he just shook his head and sighed.

“I’m… gonna go for a walk,” Leon stated. “Let mum know I’ll be home a little later, ‘kay?” he said as he turned his back to Hop and walked the opposite way they came.

Hop’s stomach plummeted. After pressing him for so long, from saying that he liked someone, from asking about Raihan, from the _kiss_ , Hop’s luck finally backfired. Now it _really_ felt like something was his fault.

He jolted up from the park bench. “Lee, wait!” he called, taking a few steps towards him.

Leon paused. Hop watched him take a deep breath in and then exhale, before turning around to look at him with a sad smile.

“Hop. I‘ll be okay,” Leon quietly reassured him. “I just… I want some time to think about things. I’ll be back soon.”

Hop wasn’t sure he believed him. Hop had obviously messed up. He desperately wanted to run towards Leon, to throw himself around his torso, to apologize, to do anything that would get him to stay.

But he didn’t want to scare him off again. And he trusted Leon to keep his word.

So all Hop did was nod reluctantly.

“... Don’t get lost,” Hop mumbled.

Leon laughed quietly, and their eyes met briefly. Leon’s expression was apologetic, but there was also indecisiveness in his face, as if there was something he wanted to do. He took a small hesitant step towards Hop...

… But then decided otherwise. Leon took a step back and turned back around, and headed further into the streets of Motostoke

Hop stood underneath the light of the street lamp, alone and downcast. The cold breeze bit uncomfortably at his skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alt chapter title: "leon is bad at feelings"
> 
> so i definitely made this chapter way longer than i expected it to be, AND i decided to give this fic an extra chapter. whoops!
> 
> i changed my twitter handle, it's now @brewshipping if you want to see me yell abt leon/hop or give me prompts. and thank you all so much to anyone who's left nice comments, kudos, and bookmarks. it means so much to me. <3


	3. Monday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tags have been updated, and the content rating has been bumped up to Explicit! please be mindful of both of these before diving in to this chapter.

Hop felt as though he was in a daze the entire train ride back home. He barely registered the sharp breeze and droplets of rain that pelted down on him as he walked out of Motostoke and down Route 1. By the time he returned home, he was properly drenched.

But he hardly minded, and it’s not like he was worried about that anyway. He was more worried about Leon.

Hop removed his shoes at the door and instinctively glanced around the room for his brother-- as if he would be home and everything would be back to normal. As if he would welcome him with that wide smile of his and sap the cold from his body with a wide, warm hug.

But Hop swallowed in disappointment as he finished looking around. Leon wasn’t here. There was only his mother, lounging on the couch with the telly playing quietly in the background. Her attention pulled towards him as he entered the room.

“Hello dear,” she said with a smile. But then her expression lowered as she noticed something was amiss. “Is something wrong? Where’s your brother?” she asked.

Hop just shook his head. “Out for a walk. He said he’ll be back soon,” he said, keeping his voice level. _Calm down,_ Hop told himself. _Don’t worry about what’s wrong right now._

His mother frowned and glanced out the nearest window. “In this weather?” a note of worry toned her voice. “And with how easily he gets lost? Is he going to be oka--”

“Of course! He’s the champion, he can handle himself just fine,” Hop chimed, perhaps a bit too energetically. Even his usual grin felt strained. He hoped his mum didn’t look too deep into it.

“I’m... gonna head to my room,” Keeping his eyes glued to the floor, Hop quickly bounded up the stairs.

She didn’t say anything more, but Hop could feel his mother’s eyes on his back as he went by.

Hop could think about what happened with him and Leon at the restaurant all night. But there wasn’t anything he could do to help fix the rift between him and Leon. Not right now, anyway. His brother wasn’t answering any of his texts, and Hop didn’t have a clue where he would run off to. It’s also not like he was going to track him down in this weather either.

So instead of worrying like he wanted, Hop moved into his room to do some late night studying. Whenever something was bothering him, he preferred to keep himself busy. As long as it could distract him from what was worrying him. That was enough for him.

A few hours passed. He became so engrossed in studying, so keen to distract himself, that he missed the hallway lights turning off, signalling his mother had gone to bed.

An hour after that, he even missed the shutting of the front door and the sound of the stairs creaking. And later yet he missed the sound of those footsteps stop right outside his door, then the sound of them shuffling away and down the hall.

By the time Hop decided to stop it was well past midnight. He groaned, rubbing his tired eyes.. Not only did he have school in the morning, but Leon was supposed to be heading back to Wyndon in the morning too. 

There were still no texts from him either. Hop’s heart gave a forlorn ache. They still hadn’t resolved what happened at dinner. How would he be able to see him off tomorrow? How would they even _talk?_

Hop propped his elbows on his desk, burying his face in his hands. He could feel unpleasant emotions creeping into his chest once more. Guilt piled high on top of his pre-existing exhaustion, and Hop could feel himself get worse by the second.

Then a moment later he stood up, shaking his head. He shouldn’t dwell on it. As much as he thought it was his fault, and as much as he wanted to fix it, there wasn’t anything he could do right now.

Plus, his exhaustion wasn’t helping any. He figured he should really get ready for bed anyway.

But as Hop exited his room and made his way toward the bathroom, he paused. Stilled. Strained his ears to listen.

He blinked. He could hear noise coming from behind his brother’s closed bedroom door. Leon was home…? Had he not heard him come in? Why didn’t he come to say hello?

The closer he shuffled forward, the better Hop could make out the sounds from Leon’s room. There was rustling and what sounded like... whimpering?

…Crying?

_Oh, no._ Hop’s heart sank.

His guilt multiplied tenfold. What happened at dinner must have impacted Leon more than he thought. Hop had no reason not to believe him at the time, but… of _course_ Leon wasn’t okay. Hop should have fought harder to get him to stay, to comfort him, to make sure of how he was actually feeling.

_Now, it really is my fault,_ a voice in his head nagged at him. _It’s all my fault Leon’s upset and he’s crying now because I upset him. It’s my fault, it’s my fault._

But now, Hop could finally do something about it. He should go in, talk it out, apologize for what happened and be there to comfort him-- like he should have before. He didn’t know if he’d ever seen Leon this torn up, and Hop only wanted the best for him.

Hop sucked in a breath, trying to calm the unpleasant feelings stirring before he cracked open the door and peered inside. His mouth opened half way to say Leon’s name.

And then the world swiftly flipped on its head.

Time seemed to slow as Hop took in the sight in front of him. Leon was indeed home-- he was the very first thing he saw in the room, in fact. His brother was in bed, laying on his back with his eyes scrunched closed.

… And with his pants pulled down to his thighs and a hand wrapped around his cock.

His… Hop nearly choked as his gaze was pulled down towards Leon’s length. Even from where he was standing, Hop could tell Leon was _so much_ larger than he was.

And Leon was _soaking_ , was the best way Hop could describe it. It was easy to see just how wet Leon was, and if that wasn’t enough, the slick sounding noises of Leon pumping himself was telling.

One particular stroke upward made Leon arch his hips and-- there. He heard it again, one of the whimpers from earlier.

Hop immediately snapped his eyes towards Leon’s face.

The bedside lamp reflected the sheen of sweat on his brother’s forehead and the wet curls of hair that framed his face. His eyes remained closed, but his expression was intense with the way he bit his lower lip and furrowed his brows.

There were just too many details to absorb. Hop didn’t know how much time he spent staring, but if you asked him, it wasn’t long enough.

Another whine that escaped Leon’s mouth caught his attention, and Hop’s brain finally caught up to him.

Leon wasn’t crying, he was… he…

As soon as it registered, Hop’s legs nearly gave out and he had to clutch the door frame for support. It felt like everything inside him fizzled and fried. He couldn’t think. His limbs moved on their own volition. Everything else felt as if it were either extremely hot or numb.

Hop felt a noise growing in his throat and he covered his mouth to stop it. He took one step back. Two, then three steps back. And _carefully_ , as quietly as he possibly could, shut the door closed again.

The moment it was shut, Hop slumped against the adjacent wall and squeezed his eyes shut. His thoughts raced a mile a minute, not to mention all the heat and warmth he felt began to pool… somewhere else.

Leon was home. Leon wasn’t upset. Leon was okay. No, he was _more_ than okay. Leon was… _touching_ himself, _pleasing_ himself just on the other side of the wall. And maybe he couldn’t see him anymore, but Hop could definitely still hear his high pitched occasional moans and the slick sounds of his hand working his dick. That long, wet length that Hop couldn’t get out of his head. He wanted to…

Hop found one of his hands had snaked down towards the front of his pants and palmed the front of his growing bulge. He bit his other hand to stifle a groan.

He didn’t know what emotion he was processing currently. Concern, confusion, and of course, guilt sat at his core-- familiar, but not particularly wanted. _Was_ Leon still upset? When did he get home? And why was he… Hop flushed even harder just thinking about it.

Soon all his worries were fading, getting drowned out by his increasing lust and desire that burned away at his very being. 

If the kiss in the kitchen was a match, then the sight in the bedroom was a bonfire. And Leon was the gasoline that fueled the flames.

Of course Hop had fantasized about Leon before. He’s always admired Leon from a young age, but as he grew older, some of his thoughts about Leon grew… deeper. He started thinking of how he wanted to see Leon’s clothes cling in all the right ways. Or see Leon get all sweaty and pant heavily like he did after an intense battle. Or see him blushing, moaning deeply, with his hand down his pants.

But actually _witnessing_ it was something Hop would never have been ready for, even if he had all the time in the world to prepare himself.

It felt like it was too much. Way too much. Way too dangerous.

But Hop was already done for. He had gotten a taste of his wildest fantasy, and he wasn’t about to let go of it when he was so close. He needed _more_.

It didn’t take much for Hop to get fully hard-- the sight of Leon and a few quick palms to his bulge was enough. His hand slid down below his waistband and he gave his hardened cock a rough tug, and--

_Oh,_ Hop mouthed, knees trembling at the contact. He was so sensitive. So _ready_ He needed this so much more than he realized.

He wasted no time to quicken his pace, making his strokes grow more eager. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back against the wall. The image of Leon flashed through his head, only fanning his the flames of his desire. He thought of Leon on his back, shirt hitched up slightly and cock exposed and twitching, looking just absolutely _beautiful_. Just like he always was. Like he always has been.

And Hop wished… he gulped, his thoughts growing more needy and lustful. Hop wished he could be in there _with_ Leon.

He wished he could sit on top of Leon, knees on either side of his waist, staring down at his flushed face and lidded eyes. He wished he could wrap a hand around Leon’s huge length, feeling just how hard he was, how his tip would leak with a light squeeze to his tip, how his cock would twitch under his touch, and Leon would make those high pitched whines again. And he would call his name-- _Hop_ , he would breathe out, _A-ah, Hop,_ and Hop _swore_ he could hear it now, those irresistible moans mixed with the sound of him stroking his brother’s dick-- no, stroking _both_ of their cocks together, feeling each other, leaking pre-cum on one other, nearing climax until finally--

Oh, _fuck_ , Hop was so close. His strokes grew hastened. Frantic. His fantasies and the sound of his slick strokes, mixed with Leon’s moans and whimpers filled his ears, and was quickly bringing him to the edge. Leon was the only thing on his mind-- the only thing he wanted to be on his mind. And he could feel the pressure building, his pleasure spiking, and he couldn’t help but let out a few guttural moans as he reached his peak, and he was SO close and--

Suddenly all sound from Leon’s room halted.

It took Hop a beat too late to notice and realize why. But as soon as he did, his eyes snapped open and he quickly slapped a hand over his mouth.

_Please, please don’t come out,_ Hop pleaded. _Don’t get up, don’t come out here. You didn’t hear anything. PLEASE don’t come out here._

Unfortunately for Hop, he was already too close to cumming by the time he stopped. His finger gave an involuntary twitch against his cock, and that was all he needed to push over the edge.

Hop didn’t dare make a sound. Even as thoughts of Leon coursed through his mind and even as he threw his head back as the intensity of his orgasm crashed over him, cum covering his hand and underwear, he refused to make another noise. Hop bit down on his hand-- _hard_ \-- to prevent any sounds that might escape.

Hop thought that might be it. Leon would come out of his room to investigate the noise and see him like this: flushed, dazed, coming down from his high with a sticky hand down his pants.

But as Hop remained painfully still for a couple minutes longer, nothing of the sort happened. With time, the noises from the room resumed-- tentatively and much quieter this time. Hop almost didn’t catch them even when he strained his ear against the wall.

Once he figured it was okay for him to move again, Hop quickly but quietly shuffled his way down the hall. His steps were feather-light as he crept forward, moving as carefully as possible, until finally he arrived at the bathroom.

Once the door was shut behind him, he let out a weary exhale he didn’t realize he was holding. Finally, he was able to relax somewhat. Although the trembling and numbness in his legs hadn’t gone away.

He spent some time to rid himself of the mess in his pants and to wash himself up. When he was done, Hop gave himself a minute to simply remain in the bathroom, elbows up on the sink counter and hands cradling his face.

_I can’t believe that actually happened,_ he thought, his sigh coming out shaky. He’d always wanted to see Leon like _that_ , but that-- that was more than he could have bargained for. He couldn’t believe he _saw_ and _listened_ to Leon touch himself, came in his pants right outside his bedroom door, and nearly got caught doing it.

Hop had tried so hard to contain his feelings during his brother’s visit. He knew they were something he had to be careful about, especially around Leon himself. But Leon just made it so hard sometimes. Hop had only been giving in to his desires ever since that morning Leon made pancakes for him. And things have only gotten riskier since.

If he had to be honest, Hop had long since lost his composure.

How was he going to talk about what happened at dinner, let alone look Leon in the eye? After seeing him like... that? Knowing what he did just outside his bedroom door?

Hop curled his fists into his scalp and sighed. He could feel his uncertainties stacking on top of each other once again.

But he just didn’t know.

He didn’t know.

\-----

Hop hardly got a wink of sleep that night.

Everything from his worry and guilt was enough to keep him awake. As if that wasn’t enough, his mind veered off to Leon again and the scene he saw in his bedroom. At some point during the night he ended up feverishly jacked off to the thought of Leon again. The daze of his climax combined with his exhaustion was finally enough to get him to pass out, that is, until his alarm woke him up again.

Hop got ready for the day in a hazy stupor. As he showered, he tried not to think about the night before. As he got changed, he tried not to think about what went wrong. As he ate breakfast, he tried not to think about Leon. Or think of Leon’s body sheened with sweat, shirt uplifted and pants down. No, especially not that.

But eventually he heard the telltale sound of footsteps walking down the stairs, and soon enough, there stood Leon in the kitchen entrance, towing behind a few travel bags. He wore his regular gym outfit-- ball-cap and all-- but today it looked like he took a dark zip-up sweater in lieu of a cape.

“Hey,” Leon spoke, his voice still low from sleep. “Ready to go soon?”

Hop glanced up at Leon’s face, his eyes connecting with his brother’s warm heavy-lidded eyes. His heart gave a flutter, which he quickly suppressed.

This was already proving to be difficult. And so far, Leon had only spoken five words.

“Hey... yeah, I...” Hop drifted off. He never found it this hard to talk to Leon. Usually it was as easy as breathing, but...

With everything that happened, it was hard to find his words.

“... Yeah. Just let me get ready,” Hop’s answer felt clipped, even to his own ears. He forced himself to look away from Leon’s gaze as his brother raised an eyebrow at him. Hop hoped he didn’t press it.

“Okay,” Leon simply said and made a move towards the front door. “Meet you outside?”

Hop swallowed, nodded, his eyes still drawn to the ground. “Alright. Sure.”

There was a slight pause where Leon didn’t do or say anything. But then Hop heard footsteps shuffle towards the door, and then the eventual open and close of the front door.

Hop gave himself a minute to just sit at the kitchen table. It was the next day and he _still_ wasn’t sure how to feel. So much happened over the course of the few days and Hop was in over his head.

Eventually he managed to find feeling in his legs again and met with Leon, who was waiting by the small pond in their yard, and the two started their way towards Wedgehurst. There was still plenty of time before Leon’s train arrived, so the two walked together slowly side by side, in no real rush.

Besides, there was still the matter of… _that_. Hop tried to open his mouth to start, but his words caught as he noticed Leon staring at him intently.

“Are you okay Hop? You don’t seem too good,” Leon noted, a tone of concern lacing his voice.

“Oh, I--!” Hop stumbled for a moment. “I… guess I didn’t sleep too well, is all,” he said. Technically it was the truth, but not the entire truth. Was Hop going to tell him that “oh, I might have lost sleep because I was worrying about you, and then jacked off to you twice after accidentally seeing you wank in your room”? Not exactly.

Plus, it was best if Leon didn’t know about that last bit. _Especially_ that last bit.

“I see,” he hummed in response. “I uh… didn’t exactly get the best sleep either...” he drifted off, scratching the back of his neck.

Hop turned his head away to hide his flushing face. “Ah,” was all he managed to get out.

Silence spread between them as they walked together. Hop used that moment to take all his willpower to NOT think about it, and also to recompose himself and clear his throat.

He needed to talk about yesterday before it was too late.

“I… didn’t hear you get home last night,” Hop tried. He didn’t know the best way to start the topic, but he needed to begin somewhere.

There was a beat before Leon stopped walking beside him. Hop turned back to look at him.

Leon looked absolutely downcast and crestfallen. It wasn’t a look Hop saw on him very often, if at all. His heart wrenched, as if he could feel just how down Leon was just from looking at him. He wanted to bring him in for a hug or reassure him or make a funny joke, anything that would bring a smile to Leon’s face again. But for now, Hop just watched and listened as Leon spoke.

“Listen, Hop… I’m _so_ sorry,” he said, his voice meek and unassertive, sounding _so_ unlike himself. It grappled Hop’s attention, reeling him in.

Leon fiddled at a strand of his hair as he continued. “I should have at least told you where I was going last night and why. And before all that, I… it probably seemed like I was acting weird or upset all night.”

Hop wrung his hands nervously. “I mean… yeah. It kinda did,” he said. He watched as the corner of Leon’s lips twitched into a frown, and Hop tried not to think about how just two days earlier, he pressed his own lips to that very corner and got a taste of--

_No._ He stamped out that thought before it could continue. Now was not the time to be distracted. They needed to talk about this.

“I couldn’t tell how you felt at all,” Hop continued, as Leon remained quiet. “I knew obviously something was up, but I couldn’t guess _why_. And you’re usually pretty honest with me, Lee, so if you weren’t saying anything, I started thinking… that it had something to do with me?” Hop’s voice cracked on the last word, and he vaguely noticed Leon’s breath hitch.

His emotions were starting to slip. All the pent up problems he kept to himself were finally spilling out of him. “So I spent all night thinking of what went wrong and how I could fix it, but then you weren’t answering my texts and I barely saw you at all, and now you’re leaving soon so--”

Hop paused mid-sentence to let out a shaky sigh. Wait-- he blinked-- when did his vision get so blurry? Were those tears in his eyes?

Then he felt warm, large arms wrap tightly around his shoulders and the smell of cologne waft around him. It was a sensation so familiar, so soothing, that Hop was already relaxing at the touch of Leon’s broad arms.

“Hey, hey… c’mon,” Leon soothed, giving Hop a small squeeze. Hop couldn’t help but nestle his head into Leon’s chest.

They stood like that a while longer until Hop could no longer feel tears in his eyes and his breathing evened out. Then Leon pulled back to meet Hop’s eyes.

“I should have known better and known this would impact you like this,” Leon spoke quietly. “It _did_ have something to do with you, yes, but you were definitely not the problem. This was on no one else but me. I was just... selfish. And I’m sorry.”

Hop gave a bleary blink up at Leon, slightly confused at what he meant. “Selfish?”

“Oh, w-well. Maybe that’s not the best word, but…”

Leon’s brows furrowed and he bit his lip. Hop could see the gears working in his head, almost like he was working himself up for something. For what? Hop wondered.

He got his answer soon enough.

“You… were right, earlier.” Leon mumbled.

“About what?”

“... About me being jealous.”

_… Huh?_

“Huh?” Hop echoed his thoughts. So… Leon really WAS jealous? Did that...

Did that mean Leon was acting jealous of Naomi? That he felt the same way that Hop did about him? Was Hop even his type? Would Leon want to pursue something _more_ with Hop? Was it true? Did Hop actually have a chance?

Several different questions bounced around in his head at light speed. He knew he was likely getting ahead of himself, but the fact that there might actually be a chance for Hop’s hopeless crush had his head swimming and his chest pounding.

“I mean, uh,” Leon stuttered and coughed. “It’s just. I don’t get to see my little brother that often, y’know, and I wanted to be the one spending time with you, and not… someone else…” he trailed off, but then quickly recovered. “But in the end, I… ended up achieving the exact opposite of what I wanted, all because I felt bad for being... so jealous. And now there’s not much time left for us to hang out.”

“That’s no real excuse for how I acted, but I’m sorry, Hopscotch. Truly,” Leon finished, staring down at him, rubbing a comforting hand up and down Hop’s back. Hop held his breath in an attempt to stop himself from shivering.

There was a lot to process. Leon’s apology, the truth to why he acted the way he did, Leon’s jealousy, the _nickname_ Leon only used rarely, and not to mention how _close_ Leon was currently, with his hand rubbing along Hop’s back and how intensely he could feel his gaze on him. He felt like he always did with Leon-- his senses overloading. Overheating.

“Hop? You sure you’re okay?”

Leon’s worried voice is what moved Hop into action again. He inhaled and pulled away from their hug, feeling the need to vent himself before he got too warm. “Y-yeah. It’s okay, Lee. Thank you.” he nodded, not before looking away sheepishly.

But Hop truly did feel better. It was like all of his previous anxiety about upsetting Leon or his guilt over having feelings for him had whisked away, down a rushing river.

But now there was something _else_ creeping up on him. What did Leon _really_ feel? Did his jealousy really just spur from him wanting to hang out with Hop? Or was there something more? Hop so desperately want there to be more.

And as Hop stared back at Leon’s expression, he was still doing that thing from earlier, right before he told Hop he was jealous. He bit his bottom lip before it quickly turned into a smile, but his expression was still… slightly tense.

There was something else on Leon’s mind.

“Was… there something else you wanted to say?” Hop asked tentatively, seeing if that would prod an answer out of him.

Hop watched as Leon’s adam’s apple bobbed in his throat, like he was deciding, working on finding the words to say. But eventually he just shook his head. “Not right now…” was all he said.

They began to walk side by side again, but what happened next surprised Hop.

It was subtle. Leon faced away from Hop and coughed slightly, but at the same moment, he reached one hand to the side and grabbed one of Hop’s hands.

And interlaced their fingers.

Hop nearly squeaked. His eyes jolted down towards their locked hands, up towards Leon’s turned head, and back towards their hands.

Instantly Hop was reminded of what he saw last night and was immensely glad Leon wasn’t looking his way or else he might have combusted right then and there. Was this the same hand that stroked Leon’s…? The same hand that was covered in Leon’s precum? The same one that pleasured him and elicited those sweet, wet sounds from him? Was he holding that very hand right now?

Hop started to burn up at his ears, all the way down his legs. Leon’s hand was larger than he remembered, too. Had it always been that big in comparison to his? Had it always been so warm and smooth to the touch?

Not a word was said between them, but Hop could feel just how tangible the air was around them and suddenly it was harder to breathe.

Leon said he was jealous. He said there was something he didn’t want to tell him right now. And just now he initiated holding Hop’s hand. Hop desperately wanted it to mean something more. More than just familiarity, more than just a brotherly bond. Never before did Hop have so much hope that he might be reciprocated, that there might actually _be_ something there.

He wanted to say more. He wanted to confess himself right then and there, spill forth his feelings and find if Leon really did share his feelings.

But the space around them felt too fragile and Hop wanted to relish the moment while it lasted. So for the meantime Hop let it go, and the two walked in silence, hand-in-hand, as they neared the town of Wedgehurst.

They reached the train station not too long after. Luckily it was early enough that the streets were quiet, meaning they got to avoid the mob that usually waited for Leon. There was nobody inside the station either. As they entered, Leon turned to face Hop, finally breaking the silence.

“So… I guess this is it,” Leon said. 

Hop smiled sadly up at him. “I guess it is,” he said, the sadness obvious in his voice. It was always disheartening whenever Leon had to leave. It never felt like enough time, especially short weekend trips such as this. Especially with how their previous day ended, rendering less time than they usually had.

“Again, I’m sorry we didn’t get to hang out more,” Leon said apologetically, giving his still held hand a light squeeze. “Why don’t I make it up to you sometime? You should come visit Wyndon soon and we can do some sightseeing together. There’s this bakery that I’d think you’d like”

“Yeah, that’d be nice Lee, I--”

Hop gasped mid-sentence, dropping Leon’s hand.

“Hm?”

It was at the mention of a bakery, that Hop remembered the little brown bag he picked up from the sweets shop the day before. And that brown bag was right where he left it-- on his bedside table.

“I… have something for you. But I left it at home,” Hop blurted, already walking backwards towards the entrance. “I need to grab it for you.”

Leon raised an eyebrow. “Uh, are you sure? The train comes in… five minutes,” he glanced up at a screen listing the train schedules, sounding apprehensive that Hop would make it back in time.

But Hop was already running back towards home, shouting a fast “I’ll be quick!” over his shoulder. He thought he heard Leon yell something back, but whatever it was, he was already too far away to hear it.

Hop was grateful they didn’t live too far away. The uphill slope back towards Postwick made it slightly challenging, but he still ran as fast as his legs would carry him.

Soon enough his house came into view, and Hop burst through the front door, not bothering to take off his shoes as he jumped two steps at a time, up towards his room and--

There! As soon as he saw the little brown bag sitting inconspicuously on his table, he snatched it and did a quick 180 out of his room, nearly flinging himself down the staircase, and slamming the front door behind him. This time the sprint back was marginally easier, the downhill momentum giving him a bit of a boost.

He wished he remembered to bring it earlier. It was more than just a gift. It was something… almost symbolic. And Leon wasn’t going to leave without it if Hop could help it.

Luckily he could see the train station dead ahead now-- Hop just hoped he wasn’t too late. He burst through the station entrance panting, looking around wildly for his brother, and--

Hop let out a sigh of relief to see Leon still waiting, standing exactly where he had left him. He took a moment of pause to place his hands on his knees and just catch his breath.

“Wow, Hop, I think that’s a record,” Leon whistled, looking impressed.

Hop shakily raised the paper bag up towards Leon. “H… here…” he wheezed, still out of breath from sprinting for a few minutes straight. Leon took the bag from his hands and tentatively peered into it.

“O-oh!” Leon gasped. “Hop, you didn’t have to!” he exclaimed, carefully pulling out what was inside.

Gingerly pinched between his thumb and index finger was a Sweet Heart. Usually they were just pure chocolate, but Hop had gotten him ones with sweet Pecha berry chunks.

Sweet Hearts were typically a treat reserved for couples-- it wasn’t really something you got for your brother. Hop was initially fearful that it might be a bit telling towards his true feelings, but after what Leon talked about and how he’d been acting this morning…

He felt more confident about giving him something like this, hidden meanings and repercussions be damned.

“Well... huff… you know... I know how much you like sweet things. I just-- I figured I’d get you something nice,” Hop said in-between pants, trying to sound nonchalant. He stood up from his hunched position, watching Leon’s expressions carefully.

“I… yeah. Thanks so much Hop,” Leon smiled fondly down at the sweet and placed it gently back in the bag. “You really didn’t have to, you know.”

Hop shook his head. “I _wanted_ to,” he assured, flashing a wide grin up at Leon.

He was glad he ran back for his gift in time. The soft, grateful expression Hop got in return made his heart soar. No longer did he feel guilt or fear or shame for, well, anything that happened this weekend, really. Seeing Leon smiling and happy again was enough to wash that away.

Hop truly loved his brother so much.

A jingle played overhead, announcing that the next train was about to arrive.

Their time was up. It was time for Leon to go.

Leon pulled Hop in for a hug, and once again Hop was floored with Leon’s warmth and scent. Hop wrapped his arms around Leon’s torso, breathing in the moment, savouring every last second he had touching Lee and just _being_ in the same room as Lee.

“I wanna come with you…” Hop whispered into Leon’s shoulder.

He didn’t think Leon would pick up on it, but above him, he gave a small laugh. “You can’t. You have school,” he said, giving Hop’s hair a ruffle.

As they parted, Hop looked up at him with a playful pout. Leon’s smile widened at the sight.

The sound of oncoming wheels on a train track alerted them that the train was nearing the platform. Leon held the bag of Sweet Hearts in one hand and picked up his travel bags in the other.

As Hop stared at the outline of his back, he thought about how much he _really_ didn’t want Leon to go. It just wasn’t fair. All Hop wanted was more time with Leon, or at least give him another gift so it was like Hop _was_ coming with him, in some way.

Hold on-- that was it.

“I’ll see you soon--” Leon started, one step away from going through the turnstile, before Hop swiftly interrupted him.

“Wait!”

Leon turned back to stare at him, cocking his head in questioning.

“There’s… one more thing I want to give you. Come here,” Hop beckoned him closer, and kept beckoning him until Leon was just a few inches away.

Nerves pricked at Hop’s neck and fingertips. This was just a spur of the moment thing-- it had no carefully thought out plan. He wasn’t sure if it would end poorly like that one morning in the kitchen, or how Leon would even react. 

But it was now or never. Leon’s train had just pulled up, and Hop had to make a choice.

His choice should have been obvious, really. He hadn’t held back with Leon this week at all, and he wasn’t about to start now.

So he held his breath and took the plunge.

Hop threw his arms over his brother’s shoulders and placed a fervid kiss directly on the lips.

It was fast, clumsy, and somewhat awkward due to Hop’s inexperience. But it wasn’t the quality of the kiss that mattered. It was the fact that he was _kissing_ Leon-- his brother, his idol, his love, his EVERYTHING. Hop could taste the lingering mint of his toothpaste as well as a sweetness that was unique only to Leon.

The moment was incredibly short lived, but it was more than Hop could ever dream of. More than the soft, timid kiss he initiated in the kitchen.

He had just _kissed_ Leon. And Hop loved every moment of it.

Eventually Hop forced himself to pull back and unravel himself from Leon who, to say the least, was purely dumbfounded. His face had flushed deeply, pupils dilated, and his mouth kept opening and closing, sputtering out “I”s and “um”s and “uh”s.

“That was another gift for you,” Hop grinned, enjoying how increasingly flustered Leon became. “One more for the road.” 

“I--” Leon sputtered. He must have realized how he must have looked, because he pulled the brim of his hat down in an attempt to hide his face. “T-thanks… Hop…” Leon mumbled ever so quietly that Hop almost missed it.

Normally he would be feeling guilt and anxiety by now over doing something so risky. But right now, he didn’t feel anything like that at all. He felt… good. _Great_ , even. And it seemed like behind Leon’s embarrassment, his reaction seemed… positive? He just _thanked_ him for _kissing_ him.

Hop was getting near giddy. He rocked back and forth on his heels, his chuckle ringing out throughout the station. Leon simply buried his face deeper into his cap.

“Lee, don’t you have a train to catch” Hop giggled, pointing out the locomotive that had pulled up to the platform. Leon jolted up, grabbed his bags, and quickly rushed past the turnstile, saying a quick “bye” as he disappeared into the train, and Hop waved after him..

Hop remained to watch the train start up again and move down the tracks, until he couldn’t see it anymore.

Leon was gone.

It tasted rather bittersweet to see him go. It didn’t ever _not_ hurt when Leon left, but Hop was happy they left it on a good note. Plus, there was the huge fact that Leon might _actually_ like him back in that way. And he kissed him-- by Arceus, they _kissed!_

Hop turned out of the station and down the sleepy road of Route 1 with an extra bounce in his step. As he walked, he took in the humid smell of dew after last night’s rainstorm and the softly rising sun on the horizon. And he savoured the lingering taste of Leon’s lips of his own.

Hop wondered what he was thinking now. Did Leon enjoy it? Did he want more, like he did? Could he still taste Hop on his lips, just how Hop could taste him?

He hoped so.

Hop already couldn’t wait for Leon’s next visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alt chap name: "hop doesn't know how to fucking knock"  
> or  
> "leon.exe has stopped working"
> 
> thanks for your patience as i got this last chapter out to you guys! i was initially busy with holiday plans, but then i quickly burned out from just how much things i had on my plate. i've started to recover now, though. thank you for understanding.
> 
> i also just want to say thank you so much to everyone who's shown me support and appreciation for this fic, and just for leehop in general really. you've all been incredible. i thank you from the bottom of my heart-- your love means the world to me.
> 
> my twitter is @brewshipping and i post a bunch of leehop content there.
> 
> and now i must sleep. thank you. <3


End file.
